First Meeting with Akainu Sakazuki

With Zephyr's arrival, Ross could finally receive systematic training.

Zephyr was already the finest instructor in the Navy, and now that he had become a CP0 instructor and learned the CP0 training system, he was even more formidable.

After all, the CP0 Training Class could turn Lucci into a Yonko Commander in two years, and Kaku could probably go toe-to-toe with Jack.

By that measure, the CP0 Training Class was slightly inferior to Teacher Kaido's crash course, but far superior to Rayleigh and Garp's methods.

With such an excellent teaching team and an unlimited supply of training resources, even an ordinary person could quickly become a powerhouse in a short time.

Ross already had a foundation from the system, so his growth was even more rapid.

Just one month of practical training allowed Ross to move beyond mere stats and truly possess the combat strength of a Marine Headquarters Rear Admiral.

That Strength wasn't anything impressive, but it was enough to barely protect himself.

"Master, that fruit still hasn't been approved."

Stella stood beside Ross with some disappointment. After a month of care and nurturing, she had fully blossomed, her beauty several times greater than before.

And because time had passed, Ross found her increasingly convenient to use. He casually granted the Healing Fruit to Stella.

With the Healing Fruit, Stella could not only provide medical assistance for Ross's training but also heal herself at night, allowing Ross to try more variations.

Ross felt that this fruit was definitely worth the investment.

"If it's not approved, then forget it. Those old bastards are deliberately holding me back. I'll wait until this Buster Call produces some results."

Ross sneered twice. Being choked off from resources like this still annoyed him.

While browsing the World Government's treasury, he had spotted a fruit he really wanted.

He had killed quite a few Ability Users recently and was basically certain that Special Rewards wouldn't drop abilities—at most, killing someone would directly yield a Devil Fruit.

That being the case, if he wanted a fruit to eat himself, he'd have to rely on the World Government.

Unfortunately, because the fruit he wanted was too powerful, even his grandfather refused to give it to him, let alone the other Five Elders.

Even a Celestial Dragon had to prove their Strength before they could obtain a powerful fruit approved by the Five Elders.

"Saint Ross, Sakazuki has arrived. The Buster Call is fully prepared. Once you're ready, you can lead the team out."

Zephyr entered the Palace at that moment, speaking with a grave tone as he looked at Ross.

The Buster Call on Ohara was completely ready, just waiting for Ross to set out.

"I understand. Zephyr, Zany, I'm entrusting my safety to you this time."

"No problem!" Zephyr agreed readily.

"As you command!" Zany bowed her head slightly, her eyes utterly devoid of emotion.

Ross nodded in satisfaction, rose leisurely from the sofa, and stretched out his arms.

Stella understood and moved behind him, deftly removing his clothes.

Ross barely moved. In just a minute, Stella swiftly dressed him in a well-tailored black suit and carefully draped a white cloak bearing the World Government's emblem over his shoulders.

"Master, everything is ready for you."

Stella spoke softly, gently adjusting his collar to ensure every detail was flawless. After finishing, she bowed slightly and stepped aside.

"Since everything's ready, let's set out!"

Ross laughed heartily, wrapped an arm around Stella's slender waist, and strode out of the Palace.

Zephyr and Zany flanked him, one on each side.

The geography of the Pirate World was peculiar. The Red Line and the Grand Line intersected vertically and horizontally, dividing the four seas—East, South, West, and North—into the current world structure.

The Grand Line itself was also cut by the Red Line, split into the first half and the second half. The Navy Headquarters was in the first half, while the New World was the collective name for the second half.

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The Grand Line and the four seas were connected by the Calm Belt, where there was no wind for sailing and countless giant Sea Kings dwelled, making it impossible for ordinary ships to pass.

Thus, to reach the four seas without going through the Calm Belt, there were only two fastest routes.

One was to go through Reverse Mountain, the starting point of the Grand Line, and sail upstream back to the four seas.

The other was to use the man-made waterway carved through the Red Line, which directly connected to the four seas and both halves of the Grand Line.

On the Red Line, Holy Land Mariejois was the only city, and it was also the headquarters of the World Government.

In other words, the entire Red Line was under the direct rule of the World Government, and this man-made waterway could only be used with the World Government's permission.

As a Celestial Dragon, and with the Navy being a subordinate organization of the World Government, Ross naturally had the right to use this waterway.

At the port of Mariejois, Ross met Sakazuki and his Vice Admiral's Warship.

"Commander!"

Sakazuki was a burly, tough man wearing a Navy cap and standing over three meters tall. Just standing there, he radiated a scorching wave of heat.

Sakazuki

Comprehensive Rating: S-

Sakazuki couldn't care less about Saint Ross's status as a Celestial Dragon. He simply nodded and addressed Ross by his Buster Call position.

At just over thirty years old, he was in his prime in both strength and stamina. The World Government and the Marines had already marked him as a candidate for the next Admiral.

"Board the ship."

Ross nodded flatly, showing no intention of exchanging pleasantries with Sakazuki.

Sakazuki was a pure hawk in the Marines. As long as he could achieve his goal of wiping out pirates, he wouldn't hesitate to let half the commoners die as collateral.

A man like that had no room for personal attachments. Even if you were close, if you got in the way of his path, he'd eliminate you without a second thought.

Conversely, there was no need to build a deep bond with him either. As long as you could help him in his crusade against pirates, he'd be your best ally.

Sakazuki was a man of swift action. No sooner had they boarded than the warship set course for West Blue.

At their speed, they'd likely reach Ohara in four days.

Inside the warship's command room, Ross sat in the main seat, with Stella and the female CP0 agent standing behind him. Zephyr and Sakazuki sat on either side below.

He hadn't brought many attendants this time. Aside from Stella, who handled his daily needs, his only armed protectors were Zephyr and one CP0 agent.

"Vice Admiral Sakazuki, tell me the specifics of the Buster Call."

Ross hadn't participated in the internal Buster Call discussions before. He only knew the target was to destroy Ohara.

The Marines clearly intended to use him as a figurehead, and the details weren't something they needed him involved in. But now that he was on the ship, he naturally wanted to hear the full picture.

"This operation will have Saint Ross as the overall commander, former Admiral Zephyr as the deputy commander, with Vice Admiral Sakazuki, Vice Admiral Borsalino, Vice Admiral Kuzan, and Vice Admiral Akainu accompanying. The objective is to completely destroy Ohara, where the Tree of Knowledge is located, and to eliminate all historians and informed individuals who may know the World Government's secrets."

Sakazuki spoke expressionlessly, his tone utterly devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

As if destroying an island and killing everyone on it was nothing more than stepping on an ant.

"Zephyr, Kuzan, Borsalino, Sakazuki, Akainu..."

Hearing the lineup for this Buster Call, Ross sighed inwardly.

Four Admirals plus a future veteran Vice Admiral—this force could easily wipe out Whitebeard.

But he knew full well that this Buster Call was essentially a large-scale loyalty test.

Only by passing this test would Sakazuki and Kuzan qualify to become Marine Admirals.

The era hadn't gone off the rails yet. To become a Marine Admiral, the most critical factor was loyalty to the World Government.

Yet the World Government probably never imagined that the one who seemed to contribute the most in this incident was actually a hidden double agent.